A Bed Fit For A King
- vvienl
- Aug 2, 2013
- 2 min read
We have a bed!!!! And a king-sized bed at that!!! A bed from The Ritz Paris!!! Could it get any better? How about 'it cost about the same as a king-sized bed from Freedom?'
This is an unbelievable find by hubby. He saw the bed on display at the window at Town & Country Antiques, an antique store down the road from us, and went in to have a closer look. A little put-off by the dirty and tired look of the bed, he set his eyes on an armoire instead. He wouldn't stop talking about the armoire so we went in together to have a second look at the piece. When we were there, I saw the bed and fell in love with it.
It is a bed that will fit a king-sized mattress. Bed sizes in France do not correspond to sizes here in Australia. This is why most French beds you find in antique stores will only fit a double or a queen. Most of the time, there is not enough room to extend the frame to fit a king-sized bed. Very rarely do you come across a sleigh bed, or a bed with enough room for you to extend the rails to fit a king-sized mattress. So this is a gem of a find!!!
And yes, the bed comes from The Ritz Paris. After closing up for a 2-year major renovation, all the old furniture from the hotel got sold and the owner at Town & Country Antiques happened to acquire a few of these beds from his contact in France. The Ritz at Place Vendôme in Paris is one of the world's most prestigious hotels. The likes of Mademoiselle Chanel moved into The Ritz at the start of the 1930s and called it her home until her death in 1971. With her she brought her furniture - including her beige suede settee with its quilted cushions and her folding screen made from lacquered Coromandel. "Just the basics are enough, when tasteful, to make even the most banal room personal. Mademoiselle Chanel who has been staying at the Ritz for several months is at home with a folding screen and a few flowers" reads the March 1937 issue of Vogue magazine.
The only thing that marred this incredible experience was our meeting with the owner of Town & Country Antiques. This man clearly has no love or passion for antiques and sees them purely as a means of turning a profit. To my horror, he suggested that we drill some holes at the back of an armoire to release the semi air-tight pressure when I mentioned that the armoire door was a little stiff and difficult to open.
Still, we get to bring a little piece of history from a huge icon in Paris into our humble home...
Comments